Bolton can win on the road in the FA Cup but they do miss their home comforts in the Premier League.

Wanderers slumped to an eighth away defeat in nine games as Birmingham avenged last month's quarter-final defeat at St Andrews.

Johan Elmander's 12th goal of the season and first top flight strike since Boxing Day, 20 minutes from time, gave Wanderers hope of an unlikely point.

But this time they left themselves too much to do after Kevin Phillips (4) and Craig Gardner (58) put relegation threatened Blues in command.

Phillips may be 37 but if you allow him the time and space afforded by Bolton's defence then he still knows the way to goal.

He also played the one-two with Gardner that led to Birmingham doubling their advantage and netting twice in the league for the first time since a 2-2 draw with City on February 3.

Manager Owen Coyle will deny his team's collective mind was on Stoke and Wembley, but they didn't always match Birmingham's intensity levels.

However, a forthcoming semi-final is no distraction to cup-tied Daniel Sturridge. And had he got the better of his personal dual with man of the match Ben Foster then the outcome might have been different.

However, the ex-United keeper denied the on loan Chelsea striker on three occasions in the first half. Foster also pulled off two outstanding injury time saves from Kevin Davies and Gretar Steinsson while England international Gary Cahill headed wide in the closing seconds.

Coyle left Paul Robinson on the bench to prevent his left back missing Wembley through suspension. But fellow defender David Wheater is also now only one booking away from a two-game ban for pulling back Cameron Jerome in the first half.

Robinson's replacement, Marcos Alonso, was also cautioned by referee Michael Oliver as Wanderers just came up short against the Carling Cup holders.